• Project (2014/01–2019/10): Impact of Retirement Planning and Retirement Trajectories on Post-Retirement Health

Overview: Retirement is a major life transition affecting roles and social participation. Compared with most developed countries, Taiwan has a relatively early average retirement age, and with increasing life expectancy, retirees may face 20+ years of post-retirement life. Studies (van der Heide, 2013; Syse, 2017) show that retirement can have positive or negative health effects depending on individual preparedness and social support. Hence, retirement planning has become a key task in later life and a critical public policy concern in aging societies.

This project focuses on health promotion before and after retirement along two main axes:

1. Analyze Taiwanese retirees’ retirement planning and trajectories, exploring impacts on post-retirement health behaviors and overall health.
2. Inventory workplace retirement-related resources, survey employees aged 45+ on retirement preparedness and needs, and develop culturally appropriate intervention programs for retirement planning.

Findings: While some health behaviors improve post-retirement, overall health tends to decline, with significant gender differences. Developed interventions effectively enhance employees’ knowledge and attitudes regarding physical/mental health and retirement planning. Based on these findings, the project recommends that government agencies provide gender-sensitive resources and proactively implement retirement planning policies and programs to reduce post-retirement adaptation difficulties and health risks.